Psalm 94:12-15 - September 25, 2009

Ps 94:12-15 "Blessed is the man you discipline, O LORD, the man you teach from your law; 13 you grant him relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked. 14 For the LORD will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance. 15 Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it." NIV

This passage is a continuation of the call to learn wisdom found in verses 8-11. “Blessed is the man you discipline, O Lord…” Have you ever considered the discipline of God as the path to blessing? It is! So many people relate to the concept of being disciplined as a negative concept. This is because in our fallen world, too often, those who are the dispensers of discipline are flawed by the presence of impatience, anger, and improperly biased judgment that results in discipline that is not expressed from a heart of love and communicated through patient wisdom that is intended to instruct and train us rather than through impatient anger that is equally motivated by a compulsion to punish and vent anger. This warped concept of discipline too often separates us from embracing the blessing of God’s hand of discipline. The nature and motive of God’s discipline is clearly expressed in Heb 12:10 “God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness",and again in Prov 3:11-12 “My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, 12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” The dealings of God to discipline us are one of the greatest possible expressions of His love. He delights in us, therefore He desires to train us in a lifestyle that will lead to blessing!
Psalm 94:12-15 points the way for us to finding the rich blessing of God’s wisdom in our lives. Where Does wisdom come from? How does God discipline us? He does it through the teachings of scripture. King David wrote in Ps 119:11 “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” David understood the power of the Word of God to protect us from life choices that are destructive and fruitless. Psalm 94:13 tells us that the man who builds his life on the Word “finds relief in the day of trouble” until God has dealt with the wicked. Each one of us is called to build our lives through thoughtful reflection upon the word of God and as we do His wise counsel guides and protects, disciplines and corrects with the loving heart of a Father and His disciplines lead us into the path of blessing. Imagine a life where we are making fewer and fewer flawed and costly choices in life. The result of consistent God directed choices will certainly improve the quality of our health, our relationships with both God and man, our financial lives, our careers and our ministry functions within the body of Christ. Choose a God directed life today and yield to His voice of discipline!